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Eve listened quietly to Yulim, nodding continuously throughout, and finally smiled.
“Yulim, aren’t you afraid that now you’ve said all this to my face, I might choose to silence you permanently?”
Though it was a level 20 against a level 58, and she stood no chance against Yulim in a real fight, Eve knew she had to maintain her composure. She couldn’t let herself be underestimated!
Indeed, Eve’s confident words visibly startled Yulim.
The girl burrowed further into her sleeping bag, only her head peeking out, and spoke cautiously, like a child caught in mischief: “I-I didn’t mean to expose your identity to anyone else…”
“Because, Luosha, you don’t feel like a bad person to me…”
“I’m an elf… and in this regard, I’m quite sensitive…”
Seeing Yulim’s demeanor, Eve momentarily felt a strange illusion: as if she, the higher-leveled one, were bullying the small, helpless elf before her.
‘Not a bad person, huh… Heh heh~’
Eve murmured, then let out a soft chuckle.
There was little reason to hide her identity as a fledgling undead from Yulim, as they were, after all, on the same side.
However, the mask still couldn’t come off. Without it, she wouldn’t be Luosha, but Eve, and her carefully cultivated mystique would vanish entirely.
It was Yulim, however, who had chosen to trust her after these past few days together, revealing her discovery only when Anna was asleep and they were alone.
This made the situation rather intriguing.
The little elf surely hadn’t spoken so casually out of boredom; she likely harbored other intentions.
“Yulim, tell me what reward you desire, the ‘reward’ for guessing my identity.”
Eve subtly emphasized the word ‘reward,’ her tone becoming slightly playful.
“Oh…”
Yulim, naturally, was no fool. Hearing Eve’s pointed words, her small head peeked out a bit further. “Luosha… you’re so clever…”
‘Yes, keep complimenting me. I’m listening.’
Beneath her mask, Eve’s expression shifted to one of pleased amusement.
Yet, the moment Yulim uttered her next sentence, Eve’s expression froze.
“Actually… I want to go pull the Godslayer Sword…”
‘What the hell?!’
‘Yulim, do you even hear yourself?’
‘Pull the Godslayer Sword??’
True to form, Yulim continued to drop bombshells, adding weakly, “Because… Anna’s birthday is coming soon… Last year, I didn’t have the chance, but this time, I want to retrieve the Godslayer Sword and give it to Anna as a birthday present…”
Eve fell silent, and after a long pause, she finally asked, “…Are you suggesting I go with you to the Elf Forest to pull the sword?”
Yulim shook her head vigorously. “No… I’ll go by myself.”
“Luosha, you and Anna are both unaffected by the curse of that place… If you go there, you’ll both be affected by the curse…”
“Only I am cursed…”
“And only I possess the ability to pull the sword…”
“Whether now… or in the future…”
The girl’s voice was soft, yet unyielding. Eve could feel the depth of her resolve in every word.
Eve’s blood-red eyes flickered, and she spoke in a low voice. “I recall Anna mentioning that the elves of the Elf Forest are hunting you. Going into their territory alone would be extremely dangerous.”
Yulim nodded. “I know… But I am also an elf, and the forest is my home ground too… I can evade them…”
“…Is it truly indispensable to go?” Eve asked again.
“Yes… Since such an opportunity has presented itself, I must try…”
“I want to… fulfill Anna’s wish, for she has looked after me all this time…”
“Having always accepted Anna’s kindness, it’s finally my turn to repay her…”
Eve took a deep breath, turning her gaze away from the girl to the moonlit night visible through a gap.
Another long silence ensued.
There was no denying it; Yulim’s idea was simply too audacious. Eve had to carefully weigh the pros and cons.
Initially, Eve had no intention of agreeing to Yulim’s plan. However, the girl beside her kept staring with such a pitiful, pleading look, as if she would burst into tears the moment Eve refused. In the end, Eve reluctantly conceded.
Given such unwavering determination, perhaps Yulim deserved a chance to achieve her wish.
“Tell me, what do you want me to do?”
Hearing such a direct question, Yulim knew Eve was tacitly agreeing to her idea. A joyous, grateful smile spread across her face before she earnestly stated, “Thank you, Luosha! I want… to ask you to pretend to be me… to keep Anna from realizing I’m gone until I return…”
‘…’
Eve wanted to retort, wondering how she could possibly impersonate Yulim.
But then, a thought struck her.
Yulim was also petite, her figure quite similar to Eve’s. Even the size of their core regions was comparable, and Yulim habitually wore a cloak and hood…
Considering Anna’s not-so-sharp mind…
‘Damn it! It really might be possible to fool Anna!’
As if sensing Eve’s concerns, Yulim continued, “Our appearances are different, but you don’t actually need to worry… Luosha… you are also a demonic creature. I can teach you the disguise and concealment arts of the Dark Elves to alter your external appearance, making you look exactly like me…”
“Just like… this…”
Yulim pressed her hand to her face, and a surge of grey magic flowed forth.
When the girl lowered her hand, her face had completely transformed into Anna’s, her dark golden eyes shifting to a brilliant azure.
Not only that, but even the aura of wisdom that Anna possessed was perfectly mimicked!
Had Eve not already known who the girl before her was, she truly would have believed that Anna was lying beside her at that moment.
Now, Eve finally understood the confidence behind Yulim’s earlier claim of being able to deceive them.
With such an overpowered ability, almost like a bug in reality, infiltrating enemy ranks would be ridiculously easy!
‘Perhaps…’
‘Yulim’s plan might actually succeed…’
It was only then that such a thought finally emerged in Eve’s mind.
“Alright.”
“But you must promise me you’ll return. I can’t keep Anna in the dark forever.”
Yulim dispelled her disguise, met Eve’s serious gaze, nodded her small head, and hummed in affirmation.
And so, Eve and Yulim quietly sealed their pact.
The girl patiently and meticulously taught Eve the skills she possessed, sharing her daily habits to prevent Anna from noticing anything amiss.
Ultimately, Eve removed her mask, allowing Yulim to see her face.
Upon seeing her true face for the first time from beneath the mask—a delicate, exquisite beauty akin to a doll’s masterpiece—even Yulim couldn’t help but exclaim, “Luosha… you’re so adorable…”
Yulim had considered that Luosha might wear a mask due to her own appearance.
Perhaps Luosha was born with an unattractive face, or had been disfigured, thus needing the mask to conceal her true features.
Of course, another possibility was that Luosha’s exceptionally high beauty attracted too much trouble, leading her to cover her face.
Now, it was clear that Luosha belonged to the latter category.
“Thank you.”
As Eve let out a soft laugh, she presented yet another breathtaking sight.
Eve knew she was beautiful, but this was not the time to dwell on it. After an entire evening of learning from the girl, it was time to test her newfound skills.
She channeled the magic within her body to her hands, a faint grey magical current rising from her palms, which she then placed upon her face.
Imagining Yulim’s appearance, she manifested it with magic…
[Skill Acquired: Shadow Metamorphosis]
[Skill Acquired: Phantasmal Breath]
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